Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 30, 2011

No Show? Preacher's Doomsday Prediction Echoes Past Failures

California radio preacher Harold Camping was wrong when he predicted that the world would end Friday (Oct. 21). But his failed prediction puts him in good company. Doomsday prophets have been around for thousands of years, according to sociologists, and failed doomsday predictions rarely stop them for long. Camping himself...

Sep 30, 2011

Life's Extremes: Tightwads vs. Spendthrifts

In this weekly series, LiveScience examines the psychology and sociology of opposite human behavior and personality types. In the shop window gleams the coolest pair of shoes ever. Despite being able to afford them, some people will walk away, while others — though the purchase blows a hole in their...

Sep 30, 2011

Life's Extremes: Smart vs. Dumb

In this weekly series, LiveScience examines the psychology and sociology of opposite human behavior and personality types. Legendary feats of intelligence — Ken Jennings winning 74 consecutive Jeopardy! games — have their match in astonishing acts of stupidity, like a would-be robber who dons a mask without remembering to cut...

Aug 31, 2011

Eyewitness Testimony Can Be Tragically Mistaken

Last night's execution of convicted murderer Troy Davis reportedly sent those convinced of Davis' innocence into hysterics. One of their concerns — that eyewitness testimony in the case had been recanted — also concerns cognitive scientists. This is not the first time a person is pretty much convicted based on...

Aug 31, 2011

Life's Extremes: Outgoing vs. Shy

In this weekly series, LiveScience examines the psychology and sociology of opposite human behaviors and personality types. We all know them: The exuberant, outgoing glad-handers who relish a social gathering, and the reserved, shy wallflowers who might not attend the event at all. On a given day, of course, any...

Jul 31, 2011

Positive Thoughts May Help Treat Depression

Gratitude and optimism may be a key to managing depression, a new review of relevant research finds. Called positive activity interventions (PAIs), the treatment involves intentional positive behaviors and thoughts, such as performing acts of kindness, expressing gratitude, meditating on positive feelings toward others and using one's signature strengths. Although...

Jul 31, 2011

Brain Changes in Stutterers Involve More Than Speech

The brains of people who have stuttered since childhood show evidence of rewiring, with the right side taking on tasks generally handled by the left. A new study, in which participants tapped their fingers in time with sounds, shows that this rewiring extends beyond speech. Research so far indicates that...

Jul 31, 2011

Family Warns Swimmers About Brain-Eating Amoeba

Jeremy and Julie Lewis were dreading the warm months, when so many people go swimming, and the headlines that emerged in August confirmed their fears. Three more people had died from the brain-eating amoebas that killed their son a year ago. On Aug. 29, 2010, the Texas couple lost their...

Jul 31, 2011

Why Supermoms Should Chill

Trying to have it all could be bad for your mental health, according to a new study that finds that supermoms have higher rates of depression compared with working moms who let things slide. The research, presented Aug. 20 at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Las...

Jun 30, 2011

Benign Brain Tumors Not Linked to Cell Phones

Using a cell phone for many years does not increase the risk of developing a benign type of brain tumor, a new Danish study finds. Those in the study who used cell phones for 11 years or more were no more likely to develop these tumors, known as vestibular schwannomas,...

Jun 30, 2011

Want a Big Brain? Head North

Brains are larger in those who live farther from the equator — in order to help them see better, researchers now suspect. Scientists have long known that brain volume increases with latitude — that is, the closer one gets to the poles. That might be mistaken for implying that intelligence...

Apr 30, 2011

The Dish: Helper Brain Cells Grown in Lab

The most common brain cell, called the astrocyte, is often overlooked in the face of its cousin, the neuron. Researchers are finally realizing their importance and have, for the first time, been able to grow them in the lab. Not a lot of attention has been paid to these cells...

Mar 31, 2011

Weight-Loss Surgery May Improve Memory

Weight-loss surgery may help individuals not only shed pounds but improve their memory and concentration. Obese people participating in a new study were tested on their mental abilities. They showed, on average, slightly impaired memory and concentration. Twelve weeks after surgery, subjects' scores registered in the normal range. Meanwhile, the...

Mar 31, 2011

Want Better Brains? Party!

Visiting friends, attending parties, and even going to church might be just as good for your brain as crossword puzzles, new research suggests. Frequent social activity may help to prevent or delay cognitive decline in old age, the study found. The researchers aimed to rule out the possibility that cognitive...

Feb 28, 2011

Hard-working and Prudent? You'll Live Longer

Taking it easy isn't the key to a long life, according to new research. Instead, it's the hard-working, prudent types who live the longest. The findings come from an unprecedented study of 1,528 gifted children followed from the early 1920s until their deaths. The health and longevity part of the...